Wizards’ Bradley Beal enters COVID health, safety protocols, out for Monday preseason game

As a nation we may be transitioning out of the pandemic phase, but COVID-19 and its variants are still a reality, it’s still taking lives, and it can’t be ignored.

It’s still a part of the NBA as well, and Bradley Beal will miss the Wizards preseason game Monday — and potentially will be out longer — after entering the league’s health and safety protocols.

Bradley Beal (health and safety protocols) will not play in Monday night’s preseason game vs. Charlotte.

He will return to the team upon receiving clearance under the current NBA guidelines.

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 9, 2022

Beal is vaccinated, hopefully he does not suffer serious symptoms or have to be out for an extended period of time. Vaccinated players are only tested for the virus when “directed by their team physician or a league physician or government authority.” (Unvaccinated players and staff are tested weekly.)

The Wizards open the season 10 days from now, on Oct. 19 in Indiana.

The league has laid out COVID protocols for the 202-23 season, hopefully we will not be talking about them much because the virus will remain in the background this season. But as Beal shows, the virus is still a part of our lives and the league, and there could be impacts.

UVALDE, Texas — The smallest gesture can have a huge impact.

That was reaffirmed to the San Antonio Spurs when the team held an open practice and community fair in Uvalde, Texas.

It was 137 days ago that the small town, 88 miles southwest of downtown San Antonio, was the sight of an elementary school shooting. On May 24, 19 children and two teachers were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary.

The Spurs held an open practice Saturday at Uvalde High School in support of the students of Robb